


for the last time

by razberrie_raindrops



Series: goodbyes [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst, Great Ninja War, M/M, One Shot, have this piece of trash, i'm sorry guys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-24
Updated: 2017-07-24
Packaged: 2018-12-06 11:10:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11599413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/razberrie_raindrops/pseuds/razberrie_raindrops
Summary: In which Iruka dies, and in the worst way possible.





	for the last time

**Author's Note:**

> I basically switched up all the events of the war, so don't kill me for it. Also, this is my first fanfiction, so I appreciate feedback :>

The swinging of a sword and a sealing later, Kakashi’s company finished off the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. They had recently received word from HQ that Darui’s company was in dire need of assistance. They had hurried over and were deep into battle. The number of Zetsu’s were astounding.  
////  
“Raikiri!” Kakashi yelled, plunging his hand into the Zetsu’s chest. The second he killed one, another jumped to fight. It was becoming overwhelming, and Kakashi wasn’t the only ninja who agreed.  
Kakashi moved to slash a Zetsu with a kunai, only to be grabbed by another at the back. He struggled, his hands caught behind him.  
He felt a swoosh of kunai just above his head, expecting Gai, only to see… Iruka?

“Hey, Kakashi.”   
They both immediately moved so they were back to back, each defending their lovers back.

“Why are you here?” Kakashi pressed, sounding a bit harsher than he intended.  
“Well, plan Naruto failed, and we had received word from HQ that this company needed some help.

Kakashi felt a flame of frustration. Iruka shouldn't be here. He was supposed to be safely guarding Naruto, or at least safe as it gets. He knew that Iruka was a shinobi and that he could handle things himself, but if Kakashi had his way, Iruka would be safely teaching back in Konoha. 

Just the thought of Iruka getting hurt made Kakashi want to scream. No. He would absolutely not allow that. He couldn't let Iruka die… after what had happened. He had promised himself after the incident he would never let himself get too attached to someone. He didn't want to feel that pain and guilt again, and if he died, he didn't want to let his loved one feel it too.

But there was just something about Iruka, something that made him break all his walls down and let him be hugged, be kissed, be loved. There was nothing better in the world. But everything came with a price.  
They fought together, and it was as if they had been fighting together for years. No words had to be said, and they just knew when someone needed some assistance. They both had silently agreed that they would not allow their lover to die. Not here. Not now.

Eventually, the White Zetsu army was defeated, and Iruka and Kakashi both released a sigh of relief. Their relief was temporary.  
Coffins appeared, and a barrage of what was fallen elite jounins of various villages suddenly appeared. The remaining shinobi leaped to fight, startled by the ambush.

Kakashi leapt, kunai to kunai, to a former Konoha jounin. He remembered that they were close friends with his dad. Then one day he just disappeared. No one said anything about it though, despite his efforts. As he grew older, he understood that it just happened. Shinobi were lost all the time.   
Deep down though, he didn't want to let Iruka be lost.

There was a yell from somewhere next to him; something about explosions. Kakashi began to turn and leap away, only to be cut off by reanimations. He cursed, and looked up to see boulders raining from the sky, and particularly huge ones too.  
There was no way he could escape. He could see a faint streak of yellow running towards him, but he couldn't quite make it out.  
Kakashi closed his eyes as everything went dead silent, except for the beat of his heart. I’m sorry Iruka.  
He knew he was going to die. And he'd accepted it.  
Except he didn’t.  
There was a blur of brown and a scar against tan skin and he could feel himself be shoved aside.  
.  
.  
.  
Was he… dead?  
Kakashi groaned as he pushed himself up from the rough ground and looked around to see what he thought was Naruto and…

“Are you alright? Naruto…? Kakashi?”

Kakashi looked up to see Iruka, half his body crushed by a boulder.   
Kakashi froze. He felt his entire body go numb. He felt as if someone had torn his heart out, and stabbed him in the gut. No.. this was a dream. This couldn’t be happening. Not again… no. Kakashi looked at his hands, only to realize they were shaking. Anything.. Anything… but Iruka. That couldn’t be Iruka, it wasn’t. Was this hell?

“Iruka!”

Naruto had pushed himself off the ground and his eyes widened.   
“IRUKA-SENSEI!”  
Naruto scrambled over to Iruka’s side, tears blurring his vision. Damn it… Damn it all… he’d let Iruka get hurt… DAMN IT. Naruto got up and pushed against the rock. It had to move… just a little bit. He switched into bijuu mode and pushed as hard as he could. He would absolutely not allow Iruka-sensei to die… he could not.

“Don’t… it’s alright, Naruto. I don’t think...I can make it…”  
“Don’t worry Iruka-sensei, I got this-” Naruto hissed, gritting his teeth as he poured everything he had into moving the boulder. It was no use.  
“My right side is totally crushed. I can’t even feel anything.” Iruka stated.  
Naruto cursed, his fists tightened in frustration.

Kakashi finally got up, almost running to Iruka’s side. Naruto was curled next to Iruka’s body, tears flowing freely. Naruto pounded his fists on the ground, shaking. Kakashi was hit by a wave of nostalgia as the boy in front of him seemed to flicker to as he was back in the Academy days. Memories came flooding in like a dam exploded in his mind; Iruka’s smile, the kunoichi, Iruka’s frustration, Iruka… Iruka…  
No.. this couldn’t be… how?  
Kakashi jumped as Iruka grasped his hand. Iruka looked up at him, and smiled. A single tear dripped from Kakashi’s eye. Half of Iruka’s body was crushed, and blood dripped from his mouth. Yet he smiled.  
Iruka coughed, blood splattering in Kakashi’s face.

“Iruka!”

Kakashi screwed his eyes shut. He was helpless, he couldn’t do a single damn thing. Iruka was going to die and it would be entirely his fault. Damn it all… he had let Iruka down. He had broken his promise. He'd let Iruka die, and in the exact way Obito had. Kakashi thought he had learned from his mistakes, and prevent it from happening again.   
He hadn't learned anything.

“If I’d just pushed you away then… If I had done something, anything, this never would’ve happened. It’s all my goddamn fault, how could I-” 

Kakashi’s voice cracked. He gripped Iruka’s hand tightly, sobs wracking his body. He knew he was acting like a child. His mind flashed to when his father told him that shinobi didn't and shouldn't cry. But he didn't give a damn. All that mattered was that Iruka was here, and dying. 

“So what if I'm the hero of the war? So what if I save the world?” Naruto shouted from next to him. Kakashi looked at Naruto, his own words echoing in his head. They had haunted him ever since that day.

“Oh yeah… I had forgotten…”  
They both looked at Iruka.

“I was the only one who didn't give you a present for your birthday, Kakashi.” Iruka murmured.  
“I was wondering… what to give you… and it's not like I have many choices here…”  
Kakashi took a shaky breath.

“Naruto… can you get my headband?”  
Naruto nodded, wiping at his eyes. He gently pulled the headband off of Iruka’s head.   
“Kakashi… I want you to wear it.”

Kakashi’s eyes widened, but didn't protest as he silently took off his own headband in place of Iruka’s.   
“I infused my chakra into it… so if you lightly touch it with your own, it'll become warm. It was good for headaches… See, it isn't useless.” Iruka said, his words beginning to slow down.

A silence settled between them.

“Whatever anyone says… Naruto…” Iruka started,” You're a great student… and that's how I really feel.”  
Naruto smiled sadly at that, letting himself a small laugh.

“I'm about to die, you guys. I just want to let you know…”  
Iruka paused, as if he were deciding what to say next.

“That I love you.”

Kakashi and Naruto couldn't fight back the tears then, both wanting to say so much, but couldn't say anything. Both wanted to tell him that they loved him too, and that he'll be alright, all of them would, and the war would end everything would be okay. But they couldn't.

Kakashi could faintly hear Iruka’s laughter echoing in his head, and the warmth he had felt when they had snuggled together when it was cold outside. He could taste the ramen, from when they first went out together. The smell of rain when they first kissed under a tree in the rain. Iruka smiling at him as he went to sleep. Their moments together flashed before his eyes, and each one cut into him like glass.  
Iruka managed a smile then, and closed his eyes.

Outside, there were calls of shinobi asking if anyone were still alive. A second later, someone spotted Kakashi and Naruto.

“You're alive! You two caused a lot of worry on the battlefield. Anyways, let's go! There are more reanimations. We need all the help we can get.”  
They both nodded and looked back at Iruka. 

“Go.”

Kakashi stood up to go when he noticed Naruto hadn't yet. He extended his arm to him and smiled. Naruto looked at him with wide eyes for a second, and allowed himself to be hoisted up. The two leapt to the opening and looked back at Iruka.

 

The corner of Iruka’s mouth tipped upwards as he stole one last look at them. The two people whom he loved the most. He didn't regret saving them, not one bit.

 

They watched as Iruka smiled one last time, and his eyes closed, for the last time.

**Author's Note:**

> Mm, it wasn't as angsty as I would've liked.


End file.
